The Record-Review – The official newspaper of Bedford and Pound Ridge, New York

May 27, 2011

Ms. Hayworth goes to Washington

By R.J. MARX

R.J. MARX PHOTO

Nan Hayworth in front of the Bedford Diner.

Bedford’s Nan Hayworth is moving into her sixth month in office as the 19th District’s congressional representative. In the process, she’s immersed herself in the world of Washington, living what she calls Congress’s “parallel lives.”

“We have our district functions and district responsibilities,” she said last week at the Bedford Diner. Accompanied by her press officer, Nat Sillin, and district leader Don Scott of Katonah, she provided an early-term report card and thoughts on policy.

She said her first step when assuming office was to put together a staff. “In Washington, that’s a culture unto itself,” Ms. Hayworth said. “It is essential if you’re going to be effective to have a team that knows how committees work, staffing is done, knows their way around.”

Her chief of staff is Jonathan Day, Mr. Scott, staffer Matt Turkstra — formerly of New Jersey Rep. Scott Garrett’s office — and Mr. Sillin. “We have experienced, talented men and women on our team, which has made it possible for me to do this job to the best of my abilities.

Despite what she called a “poor room draw,” she occupies an office on the Longworth Office Building, fourth floor, next to Missouri’s Emanuel Cleaver. She said that the pace is breathtaking — “We’re triple booked.” Work includes markups of legislation, making amendments, meetings with constituents, meeting with representatives of groups “ranging from child care advocates and visiting nurse organizations to folks like Citibank.”

She said she works in Washington Monday through Thursday or Tuesday through Friday, typically two weeks in Washington, D.C. and one week in-district.

A member of the financial services committee chaired by Rep. Ron Paul, she also serves on three subcommittees: capital markets, government-sponsored enterprises and oversight and domestic monetary policy.

As for her thoughts on the iconic Mr. Paul: “He has certain distinct ideas and concerns. Clearly, he wants to scrutinize the actions of the federal reserve. I don’t blame him. He’s also announced that he’s running for president, although he did not do so on the committee.”

Ms. Hayworth addressed fears that the Environmental Protection Agency might face de-funding from congressional Republicans. “No, I’m not seeking to cripple the EPA in any way,” she said. “What I am seeking to do is to make the EPA accountable to Congress for potentially extending its reach far beyond what it was established for in the Clean Air and Clean Water acts. The most obvious one is global warming. I am a scientist; I am concerned that manmade global warning may be occurring. It’s difficult to quantify. There are many questions how the science has been managed. Our default position should be that we should do all we can reasonably do to reduce our carbon footprints. What’s not smart to do is empower the EPA with extraordinary overview and reach into enterprises that are important to our jobs and our economy on the basis of a global warming hypothesis alone. Carbon dioxide is hard to quantify as a source. We don’t know which materials contribute in the context of global warming. I have voted to prevent the EPA from regulating that particular issue without congressional consent.”

She said that she has the highest rating from the New York Conservation voters in New York State’s Republican delegation. Of more than 100 votes on the environment, she said that she support many initiatives, including protection of the Everglades and regulation of coal mining. “I voted in favor of what most people would call environmental protections,” Ms. Hayworth said. “There are ways in which fellow members will advocate one or another amendment or piece of legislation. Sometimes it’s a state-by-state issue. We’re reasonably well aligned, but not monolithic.”

While she said that high-speed rail “can have a role in our transport system,” the time was not right to spend dollars to build the infrastructure. “Right now we can’t afford to manage high-speed rail in the context of everything the government is doing,” she said. “If it makes sense anywhere in the U.S., it makes sense in the Northeast corridor. It’s definitely something we should keep thinking about, but right now we can’t commit government dollars to it.”

Ms. Hayworth said she remains committed to regarding the government as a cost, not an investment, “a framework in which we can pursue our lives: property rights, contract rights, civil rights.”

“It can become an investment in the fullness of time,” she said. “We can figure out what actually successfully fosters enterprise and fosters prosperity. But in the meantime, you always have to think of what the government does as a cost. Therefore, if we want to create jobs, we have to let the citizens hang on to as much as they earn as possible, for their dollars as they make, to invest. Taxpayer dollars take money out of the enterprise system.”

Ms. Hayworth said the philosophical differences between congressional Democrats and Republicans are substantial. “We can’t afford to raise taxes right now. There’s never a good time to raise taxes. Taxes should be levied according to the leanest federal government,” she said. “Right now it’s too big. It’s not fair to the American people. We need to shrink it down, but not by raising taxes.”

She said that President George W. Bush’s 2001 and 2003 tax cuts should remain permanent. “I’ve said it many times — we should be moving toward transitioning toward a flatter, more equitable tax system for everybody,” she said. “It’s way too complicated.”

Ms. Hayworth said that her immediate goal for Congress is the debt ceiling. “That’s issue number one,” she said.

She said she seeks Medicaid reform as well, including changing the way Medicaid is administered to states. “I think Medicaid block grants are the way to go,” she said. “Similar to the way welfare reform changed under Clinton. Instead of saying you decide what you’re spending and we’ll kick in, block grants encourage states to be smart and disciplined.”

Her choice for Republican presidential candidate in 2012? “I like the thought that our candidate for president will have experience as an executive, and as an executive in government,” Ms. Hayworth said, “We have three men who are running who are three men who have been successful governors and have been involved in business in some way as well: Mitt Romney, Tim Pawlenty, and I think Indiana’s Mitch Daniels is going to run as well. I think all three could be really superb chief executives. We’ll see how things play out.”

While Mitch Daniels announced that he does not intend to run shortly after the conversation, Mr. Romney and Mr. Pawlenty remain contenders.

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